Sleeping car



J. F. CLARY SLEEPING CAR Jan. 9, 1940.

Filed April 10,1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PT E.

gwucwfom 1940- J. F. CLARY 2,186,778

SLEEPING CAR Filed April 10, 19s? 2 Sheets -Sheet 2 which the head: rest is movable intoan idle night- Patented Jan. 9, 1940 PATENT OF F :1 CE

SLEEPING CAR Joseph F. Clary, Bala-Cynwyd, Pa., assignor to .Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company, Philadelphia,.Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application April 10, 1937, Serial-N0. 136,186

8 Claims.

This invention relates toconvertible seats for sleeping cars, andmore particularly to adjustable head restsfor such'seats.

"Asheretofore constructed, head rests of this character have been'mounted so as to be adjustable to either one of three positions, namely a position in which they cooperate with the usual back of the seat whenarranged for day service, a position in which they-extend substantially horizontally'to-serve as a shelf, when the bottom and back of the-seat are shifted to form a bed, andin the third position, the head rest'is disposed in araised position against the wall with its fiat rear side outward1y,-so as to be out ofthe'way, when not in use either asa shelf or as apart of the seat back.

One of the principalobjects of the invention is to provide an improved arrangement of seat head rest for a convertible berth type seat in time position in which it is positively held against lowering and rotation'to lower it can only be accomplished'by'first elevating'it. This object is accomplished by providing a safety lock position through which the head rest pintle must be elevated toperrnit movement 'from'the idle nighttime to the-idle daytime position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved sleeping carconvertib-le seat and berth arrangement in which-clearance is provided for a light mounted=immediately overthe back of 'the' seat; and with the head rest movable into its respective'positionswithout interfering with the light.

In order that the inventionmay' be readily understood, reference is had tothe accompanying drawings forming part or this specification, and in which,

Fig. 1 is an'end view'showingthe head rest in dottedlines' and one" of the pintles and supporting bracket securedthereto;

Fig. 2 isaside elevation of the pintle and sup-- porting bracket, the head rest being shown in dotted'lines;

Fig; '3 is a plan view 'of'the parts shown in Fig.2;

4 is amend or plan view of enact the imthe'head rest being illustrated in dotted lines, in its several positions corresponding to the positions of the pintle; and

Fig. 8 is a similar view on a reduced scale show ing the relationbetween the head rest and the other parts of the seat.

Referring to the drawings in detail, I designates a. transverse partition wall such as is commonly employed in sleeping cars, While 2 indicates the end walls of the berth, one of which 10 walls is the side wall of the car. I

Secured against this walladjacent the seat is a cushion block 3 on which the wall bracket hereinafter described is supported.

The head rest itself is indicated by the reference numeral 4, and. as shown in Fig. 7, is of oblong shape in transverse section, having flat side M which is normally the rear face, and a rounded upholstered side 4 which normally constitutes the front face.

Referring to Fig. 8; the usual seat back is conventionally illustrated at5, being shown in full lines in its normal ordaytime position and in dotted lines in the position which it occupies when the seat is converted into a berth.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, there is secured to each end of the headrestadjacent one side edge thereof, by means of screws 6 an angle bracket 6 carrying'a-boss 'lfrom which projects a pintle 8. By reference to Figs; land 7, it will'be seen that this pintle is of relatively Wide fiat cross section. I

The improved wall bracket for supporting the head rest is shown in Figs. 5, 6, and '7, and comprises a plate 9 securedto the cushion block 3 85 by means of screws 9 This bracket has at its upper end arelatively wide flange l2 which rests upon the upper edge of the cushion blockas shown.v in Fig. 6.

' The plate 9 is formed'witha slot l0;whi'ch ex- 40.

tends vertically throughout the I greater'portion of its length. This slot is of such width that-the. pintle 8 can slide freely therein but cannot turn.- At theupperend of the slot, however, there is a widened portion Ill in which-the pintle 8 isfree to turn. The lower end ofthe'slotlll is'offset laterally to form a horizontal portion Hl 'such portions being joinedbyaninclined portion [0 and at a point adjacent the'junction of the vertical and inclined portions of the slot is formed 60 anotch I 0.

A flange H surroundsthe slot I ll andiis set into the cushion block 3 as shown in Fig. 6.

In order to insert the pintles 8into .the slot IQ of the wall brackets, 'afterthey are mounted on the wall as above described, the upper ends of the slots are closed by removable blocks l3, held in position by means of screws l4. Although a bracket of the form shown in Fig. 5, having such a movable block, may be used at both ends of the head rest if desired, it will be understood that it is unnecessary to provide this removable block at both ends. At one end of the head rest an integral bracket, having a permanently closed slot may be employed if desired, since the pintle at one end may be first inserted in such closed slot and then the pintle at the other end inserted in the slot of the opposite bracket through the space provided by the removable block l3.

Referring now to Figs. '7 and 8, it will be understood that the normal position of the head rest is that in which the flat or rear side 4 rests against the wall l, in such position that the lower edge of the head rest is adjacent to and cooperates with the seat back 5. In this position the pintles 8 rest in the widened portion H1 at the upper end of the slots l and the head rest is suspended from the pintles.

When it is desired to shift the head rest into a position to form a shelf, as for example when the seat is converted into a berth, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, the head rest is rotated upwardly, the pintles 8 turning freely in the widened portions Hi of the slots until the pintles are presented cdgewise to the vertical portions of the slots. When this position is reached, the pintles slip downwardly in the slots until they engage the notches 10. When they reach this position, it is obvious that the pintles are held against turning and the head rest is supported in substantially horizontal position, to form a shelf. Being at the bottom of the verti' cal portions of the slots, the shelf cannot drop further regardless of vibration.

To get the head rest out of the way, as at night time, and with no need for a shelf, the head rest may also be shifted to a third position. To this end it is tilted toward the wall I un-;il the pintles 8 are disengaged from the notches ll! and slide down the inclined portions In of the slots H) into the horizontal portions lil thereof. It will be seen that when the pintles rest at the lower end of the slots in the horizontal portions lfl thereof the head rest is held .in a vertical position against the wall, out of the path of the light from the lamp l which can be conveniently mounted on the berth wall I.

It will be further observed that when in this third or idle position the fiat or rear side of the head rest is presented outwardly, while the upholstered side is laid against the wall, and that the head rest is at a somewhat higher elevation than when in its normal position in which it cooperates with the seat back. This upper position of the head rest provides a greater clearance between its lower edge, and the bottom of the berth, thus affording the occupant more freedom of movement.

Primarily, however, it provides an absolute assurance against falling on the occupant of the berth. The pintle being in the lowermost part of the slots will prevent direct vertical movement, and if, by accident, the head rest were jarred loose, it could only turn toward the shelf position within the safety portion Hi of the 5102. It is impossible for it to rotate further unless the head rest is elevated within the main body of the slot Hl.

It is to be understood that I have shown only a preferred form of embodiment of my invention and that I am aware that modifications may be made thereto. I therefore desire a broad interpretation of my invention within the scope and spirit of the disclosure herein and of the claims appended hereinafter.

What I claim is:

1. In a convertible type seat and berth construction, the combination with a partition wall and a seat back disposed adjacent the same, of an adjustable head rest mounted above said seat back, and means for supporting said head rest either in a normal vertical position against said wall abutting the upper edge of said seat back, or in an inverted idle vertical raised position against the wall, said means positively preventing downward and swinging movement from the inverted idle position, said supporting means being in continuous slidable engagement guiding the movement of the head rest while shifting it from one position to the other.

2. In a convertible type seat and berth construction, the combination with a seat back, of an adjustable head rest disposed above the same, a pair of opposed wall brackets, means for mounting said head rest in said brackets for both pivotal and vertical movement, said means supporting said head rest in the upper portions of said brackets in normal vertical position and in the lower part of the brackets in a substantially vertical inverted position.

3. In a seat construction, a head rest, and means for adjustably mounting the same comprising a pair of opposed wall brackets having slots, and a pair of pintles rigidly carried by said head rest and working in said slots, said pintles being of flattened form and of less thickness but greater width than the width of said slots, said slots having an enlarged portion at the top permitting reversing of the head rest and a portion at the bottom thereof shaped to support said head rest in reversed vertical position or in substantially horizontal position.

4. In a seat construction, a head rest, and means for adjustably mounting the same comprising a pair of opposed wall brackets having slots, and a pair of pintles rigidly carried by said head rest and working in said slots, said pintles being of flattened form and of less thickness but greater width than the width of said slots, and said slots having portions at the bottom disposed at an angle to each other, a notch in one of said portions forming a seat for the pintle cooperating with said slot to support the head rest in one position, the pintle cooperating with the sides of the other portion of said slot to hold the head rest in another position.

5. In a. seat construction, a head rest, and means for adjustably mounting the same for both angular and vertical movement, said means comprising a pair of opposed wall brackets, each having a-slot formed with substantially vertical and horizontal portions, and a pair of pintles rigidly carried by said head rest and engaging said slots. said pintles being relatively wide and flat, and of a width greater than that of said slots, whereby said pintles cannot turn in said slots, and said slots each having a notch near the lower end of said vertical portion, in which notches said pintles may'rest, to hold the head rest in one of its adjusted positions. a

6. In a convertible type seat and berth arrangement, the combination with a seat back, of an adjustable head rest'disposed above the same in all adjusted positions thereof, and means for supporting said head rest in either a normal vertical position in substantial contact with the upper edge of said back, in a substantially horizontal position to form a shelf, or in a vertical position raised above and reversed from its normal position, said means being in continuous slidable engagement and guiding the head rest while it is being shifted from one to another of said positions and positively locking the head rest against movement when in its reversed position.

7. In a seat construction, a head rest, and means for adjustably mounting the same comprising a pair of opposed wall brackets having slots, and a pair of pintles rigidly carried by said head rest and working in said slots, said pintles being 'of greater dimension in one plane than thewidth of said spaced slots whereby they are normally prevented from turning in said slots, and said slots having at their lower ends laterally extended portions in which said pinthe latter is supported thereby.

tles may turn as they slide in response to movement from a horizontal position to a vertical position of said head rest, said slots and pintles cooperating for supporting the head rest securely in either of said positions.

8. A head rest supporting bracket having a vertical slot portion, the upper part of which has a Wide pintle turning portion, the slot below said wide portion being of a width less than the greatest dimension of a head rest' pintle adapted to cooperate therewith, an inclined slot portion at the bottom of the vertical portion, and a horizontal slot portion at the lower end of the inclined portion, said horizontal slot portion forming a support for a pintle to hold a head rest in a vertical position and said inclined slot portion having a notch in one side cooperating with the opposite side to prevent rotation of a pintle without elevation of the head rest when JOSEPH F. CLARY. 

